Defense is the Worst in the Country

[NorthTexasSportsNetwork]

11 hours ago, TreeFiddy said:

As a quick reminder, Mendoza's defense gave up 45.1 points per game in 2007 only to be bested by Gary DeLoach's paper curtain defense that gave up 47.6 points per game in 2008.

Caponi has far exceeded both of those defensive masterminds and jumped out to an impressive lead to be the worst ever by giving up an average of 52 points per game so far.

LaTech should help pad these impressive stats next Saturday by busting through the 60 point barrier.  Caponi is truly a rare find.  So glad the HC and AD signed off on his hiring.  A feather in both of their caps that they can be proud of for years to come.

 

I really didn’t think anyone could have a worst scheme/defense than Bowen or even Mendoza, but here we are lol.

I think they looked into how Iowa State played defense way too much and failed to realize they are more talented and bigger and stronger and quicker.

[TIgreen01]

This was not hard to see coming.  Been obvious that we were going to have problems running this scheme since it was announced.  Then we added virtually nothing on the line to help, instead shedding bonafide contributors from last year who still had eligibility.  Switching schemes mid season is ill advised, but now is virtually impossible as we’re short on bodies.

I’m mentally prepared for a winless season.

Edited September 11, 2023 by TIgreen01

[Mean Green 93-98]

2 hours ago, keith said:

When we hired Morris didn't we sign him for less than we were paying Littrell?  I always thought that signaled weakness and capitulation.  Since when does a D1 program hire the replacement coach that's going to catapult them into a new conference and elevate them to new heights less than the previous coach?  Were we bargain hunting?  Then the spin was we were going to use the savings to increase the assistant coach salary pool and get the best staff possible.  Yikes.

My understanding was that Morris asked for less for his personal salary so more could be allocated for assistants.

[Mean Green 93-98]

12 minutes ago, TIgreen01 said:

I’m mentally prepared for a winless season.

[TreeFiddy]

27 minutes ago, Mean Green 93-98 said:

My understanding was that Morris asked for less for his personal salary so more could be allocated for assistants.

At least we know he has a conscience.

[MAX KOCH]

Coponi is just the worst.  Do all the players hate him?  It looks like no one is even making the slightest effort. 

[southsideguy]

 

[Mike Jackson]

22 hours ago, keith said:

Since when does a D1 program hire the replacement coach that's going to catapult them into a new conference and elevate them to new heights less than the previous coach?

Since when does a coach with a 0.500 record in FBS vs FBS games, no bowl game wins, and no conference titles get 2 contract extensions?  If you are going to “go cheap” go all out and have Seth coach this year.  The  stadium was still 1/2 full in the opener because casual fans had no reason to believe in a new coach running the same offense. 

[keith]

23 hours ago, SilverEagle said:

When you WAY OVERPAID THE PREVIOUS COACH!

I feel this is the wrong thinking Silver.  All this has done is make it harder to justify the necessary salary increase for the next (and there is alway a next) head coach.  Whether we like it or not, competent head football coaches make a boat load of money.  Having a big number already in the budget will make it easier when negotiations begin.  First, we will start with a better candidate pool.  Second, we may be able to absorb another $500K to $1M bump, but a $1.5M to $2M bump may be harder to sell (at least for a school like UNT).  So, in my mind, Morris taking less and Mosely agreeing to it may have tied our hands in the future.

[TreeFiddy]

32 minutes ago, Mike Jackson said:

Since when does a coach with a 0.500 record in FBS vs FBS games, no bowl game wins, and no conference titles get 2 contract extensions?  If you are going to “go cheap” go all out and have Seth coach this year.  The  stadium was still 1/2 full in the opener because casual fans had no reason to believe in a new coach running the same offense. 

Whether we want to admit it or not, Littrell elevated this program to mediocre from awful.  He provided a glimpse of what could be, he provided hope so the AD reached with extensions.  Unfortunately, he never took the next step.  Maybe we saw his peak.  Happens with a lot of coaches.  It was time to move on if we were serious about taking the next step as a program. 

 

 

[SteaminWillieBeamin]

The play by play tv dudes kept mentioning that Morris told them that the players hadn't "bought in" yet and that is on him. Then they later said that Morris mentioned the vets didn't buy in. So. That is concerning, no? 

[meaniegreenie]

41 minutes ago, SteaminWillieBeamin said:

The play by play tv dudes kept mentioning that Morris told them that the players hadn't "bought in" yet and that is on him. Then they later said that Morris mentioned the vets didn't buy in. So. That is concerning, no? 

Wow.  That's only gonna' get worse after these losses.

[BFraz]

43 minutes ago, SteaminWillieBeamin said:

The play by play tv dudes kept mentioning that Morris told them that the players hadn't "bought in" yet and that is on him. Then they later said that Morris mentioned the vets didn't buy in. So. That is concerning, no? 

Very concerning.  It tells me that there could be a level of desperation if you’re coming out to the public that your team “isn’t buying in”.  That’s eye opening.

[ForneyGreen]

21 minutes ago, BFraz said:

Very concerning.  It tells me that there could be a level of desperation if you’re coming out to the public that your team “isn’t buying in”.  That’s eye opening.

Agreed.  Looking forward to today's press conference to see what kind of tone Morris has toward "we need to coach better" or "our players need to buy in and play better".

When coaches start taking the 2nd tone (put crappy play on the players), you often see coaches start putting "their" recruited players into the mix and forego most of their "inherited" players from a previous regime.

[SilverEagle]

9 hours ago, keith said:

Quote

I feel this is the wrong thinking Silver.  All this has done is make it harder to justify the necessary salary increase for the next (and there is alway a next) head coach.  Whether we like it or not, competent head football coaches make a boat load of money.

When it comes to North Texas vs other programs the word competency doesn't mean the same thing. North Texas is so different from other schools that what a "competent" coach is to OU is not at North Texas. For the Mack Brown's of the world once they fully grasped what the real challenge would be to turn North Texas around, they would say "you can't pay me enough". And that's a coach who had scruples and told you the truth. Others are not so honest and just go through the motions and collect a paycheck knowing that being fired will happen sooner than later. Only North Texas is on the "later" end of the time line. 

 

 

 Having a big number already in the budget will make it easier when negotiations begin.  First, we will start with a better candidate pool.  Second, we may be able to absorb another $500K to $1M bump, but a $1.5M to $2M bump may be harder to sell (at least for a school like UNT).  So, in my mind, Morris taking less and Mosely agreeing to it may have tied our hands in the future.

 

Once the realization of what the job really entails hits those candidates, the pool get much shallower.

 

 

[El Paso Eagle]

On 9/11/2023 at 11:30 AM, TIgreen01 said:

Been obvious that we were going to have problems running this scheme since it was announced.  Then we added virtually nothing on the line to help, instead shedding bonafide contributors from last year who still had eligibility.

One comment and one question

I agree that as soon as the call was made to go with the 3-3-5, there should have been an all-hands-on-deck push to bring in players who fit the schedule even if you brought in a lot of Grad Transfers with only one year left that would have given you time to develop your younger players.

"instead shedding bonafide contributors from last year who still had eligibility." - Are you referencing players who entered the portal? Don't any players were forced out?

[Green P1]

Is our defense the worst in the country?

(spoiler…. Yea it is. )

[jtm0097]

57 minutes ago, Green P1 said:

Is our defense the worst in the country?

(spoiler…. Yea it is. )

https://www.ncaa.com/stats/football/fbs/current/team/22/p3

[97and03]

On 9/11/2023 at 7:41 PM, Mean Green 93-98 said:

My understanding was that Morris asked for less for his personal salary so more could be allocated for assistants.

And then overpaid for inexperienced coaches. 

[keith]

Offense wins championships!  Said No One Ever.

[TheColonyEagle]

23 hours ago, SteaminWillieBeamin said:

The play by play tv dudes kept mentioning that Morris told them that the players hadn't "bought in" yet and that is on him. Then they later said that Morris mentioned the vets didn't buy in. So. That is concerning, no? 

That is for sure concerning. The next few weeks will be very telling. I was critical of Littrell and thought he had gotten the program as far as he could. But I will say this to his credit, he never seemed to lose the team and they never quit on him. Gotta give him credit on that one even though the results weren't there. We will see if Morris can do the same.

[BFraz]

21 minutes ago, TheColonyEagle said:

That is for sure concerning. The next few weeks will be very telling. I was critical of Littrell and thought he had gotten the program as far as he could. But I will say this to his credit, he never seemed to lose the team and they never quit on him. Gotta give him credit on that one even though the results weren't there. We will see if Morris can do the same.

I’ve very rarely heard a coach come out and say what Morris did about “buying in”.   Very strange…

[TreeFiddy]

24 minutes ago, TheColonyEagle said:

That is for sure concerning. The next few weeks will be very telling. I was critical of Littrell and thought he had gotten the program as far as he could. But I will say this to his credit, he never seemed to lose the team and they never quit on him. Gotta give him credit on that one even though the results weren't there. We will see if Morris can do the same.

With his glaring lack of results so far, it seems likely in my mind that Mazin Richards is one of those that has not 'bought in' to his new role and this new scheme.  

It will be interesting to see if the DC remains committed to a scheme that is producing worst in FBS results or if he attempts to adapt.  

[Got5onIt]

On 9/12/2023 at 10:33 AM, SteaminWillieBeamin said:

The play by play tv dudes kept mentioning that Morris told them that the players hadn't "bought in" yet and that is on him. Then they later said that Morris mentioned the vets didn't buy in. So. That is concerning, no? 

Unacceptable. Players should be ready to run through a wall for their coaches. 

[MeanGreenGlory]

I feel bad for Joe Greene.

Imagine breaking barriers at UNT, becoming one of the best defensive players of all time, on one of the best defenses of all time, and then becoming a vocal supporter of your alma mater in retirement, only to watch your alma mater field the worst defense in the country.

 

Put the "mean" back in the green.